


Rules May Be Rules, But Some Are Destined to Be Bent

by HighQueue



Category: Original Work
Genre: Best Friends, Dom/sub, If You Squint - Freeform, Insecurity, Kink Negotiation, Listen to Donny, M/M, Not Just With Each Other, Open Relationships, Silas Enjoys Pimping Frederick Out, Sorry Not Sorry, Tiny Mentions Of Author's Pet Social Issues, Who Have Sex, Wise Toddler, nontraditional family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:34:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HighQueue/pseuds/HighQueue
Summary: It's not in Frederick's nature to stop flirting with everyone just because he has a boyfriend. And a girlfriend. It's not in Silas's nature to share, but he's trying very, very hard.
Relationships: Frederick/Everyone, Mentions of Frederick/Abby, Silas/Frederick, Silas/Frederick/OC
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	Rules May Be Rules, But Some Are Destined to Be Bent

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Princes Marry Princesses; That Doesn't Mean They Don't Love Their Best Friends Instead](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6311113) by [AntagonizedPenguin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntagonizedPenguin/pseuds/AntagonizedPenguin). 



“So, it just happened.”

Silas looked up from his book. “What, did Donny finally follow through on his threat? Should I get the mop?” He started to get up from their bed.

Frederick waved him back down and came through the door, sighing. “No, not that. Well, I haven’t checked in a while, since Boey woke up. I meant, Griffin kissed me.” He leaned on the desk chair.

Oh. “Well, then. Just now? In the hall?” Frederick nodded, and Silas coughed. “How, how was he?”

“I didn’t really get a chance to find out, Silas. You know, like we talked about.” Silas felt a pang of guilt. He knew Freddy better.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. So then, how did he take it?”

Frederick finally came and sat on the bed with him. “Pretty well, actually. You were right, he thought I wanted that. He seemed surprised when I didn’t kiss him back.” He put his hand on Silas’s. “But when I told him about the rules, I do think he got it. And, Silas, he wasn’t totally wrong, either. I think it could be... good, if… if that’s what you think.”

Silas finally met Frederick’s eyes. It had been a long time since he’d seen so much indecision there. Silas hated that look, and it wasn’t even fair. This was what the rules were for, and they hadn’t been broken. So why did Frederick look hurt? Oh, right. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Freddy. It’s okay, I’m not upset.”

Fred’s face lit up like the sun. Silas relaxed; Franz was right, Frederick was an open book, at least when he wasn’t plying his informants with dimples and compliments. So all Silas had to do was say what _he_ was feeling, and everything fell back into place.

The only thing was… “But, Griffin? He’s so… tall.” Well, there went that idea.

Frederick pointed an accusing finger at him. “You mean you’re scared of him. What happened to not being upset?”

“OK, maybe, but not like that!” Silas sputtered. He had honestly never understood all the servants that fawned over the hulking castle guards, but at least they had the whole noble duty gig. Take that away, and they were just lumbering brick walls with scowls. It was one thing for him to have a crush on Frederick, everyone with eyes did, but apparently Freddy liked the cleaving machine back. “Come on, you know he intimidated me long before we got together. Just look at him, he’s our age and bigger than Gabrielle.”

“He’s a butcher, Silas! He lifts a wheelbarrow full of cow fifty times a day, and in between, he’s pounding his meat. It would be weird if he _weren’t_ huge.” Frederick tried to keep a straight face at that, but they were both laughing now.

"Pounding his meat, really?” Silas leaned into him, still chuckling. “Someone should have told me I could turn my arms into tree trunks that way, I’d never leave this room.”

Frederick fell backward, pulling Silas down with him, so Silas turned on his side and looked back into Frederick’s eyes. “That’s what you have a boyfriend for, idiot.” Frederick touched his face, and Silas’s heart swelled. He knew other people loved Fred, and he couldn’t blame them. And he never wanted Freddy to change, to be less warm with any of them now that the two of them were together. Keeping Frederick to himself would be like putting the sun behind a curtain. But rules were rules.

“So, you’re going to give his big, exhausted arms a break. What a generous, noble gift. From a generous, noble boy. Alright.” This didn’t have to be difficult. Silas kissed Fred on the nose to buy himself another second. “When is he coming by?”

“Actually, he’s still there. In the hall.”

Silas blinked. It took all his willpower not to think about the kiss again, about whatever the two of them were about to do. So Griffin had fallen _that_ hard for Freddy. He’s willing to stand outside the prince’s chambers, waiting for Silas’s boyfriend more obediently than Dragon. Waiting for Silas to make his dream come true. “Well, let’s go get him.” Silas remembered waiting for Freddy, and how great the reward had felt.

They moved through the too-quiet common area, which meant that Boey had taken Donovan out. He wondered if they had taken the back door, or if he had seen Griffin waiting. He knew Boey was aware of their arrangement, and of course that meant Franz knew. But it was one thing for them to know, and another for them to meet Frederick’s… suitor? No, nobody was trying to take Freddy from him; they were just friends, and soon, they’d just be naked friends.

Frederick opened the door. “Griffin? Come on in. You remember Silas, right?” Griffin stepped through the doorway, and Silas was pretty sure he didn’t have to duck his head.

As Griffin looked around the room, he had a nervous smile plastered on, so they had that in common, too. “Hi, Silas. Um, how have you been?” Oh, so, this was going to be unbearable. That didn’t mean Silas could give up.

“Prince Franz has me running his war council, so it’s been rather busy here.”

Griffin looked at a loss for just a second, before he decided Silas had been joking. “I can see from all the ink on your fingers that that’s dirty work. Honestly, though, we were all happy to hear that prince Franz’s sister is safe. Is, is he here now?” Hesitation returned to his broad face, and it didn’t disappear when Silas shook his head. “Listen, I want to apologize, to both of you. I didn’t know you and Frederick were together. I wouldn’t have… Please believe me, I wouldn’t do that.” Even when his dark eyes were downcast, Silas could clearly see up into them. He really did look like a lost puppy, and who could stay mad at a puppy?

Frederick punched his arm. “We share a bed, Grif!”

“Servants all bunk together, Fred!” Griffin gestured around to the prince’s quarters. “Or have you already forgotten that downstairs we don’t get goosefeather pillows and our own baths?” Frederick took a step away from him.

Oh no. Silas recognized this. Had he been this obvious, this insecure? Probably. He had to get them all back on safer ground. “You say that now, but at least you’re right next to the hearths down there. All this fancy glass can’t keep the cold away for crap, even when little Donny _isn’t_ swinging from the doorknob.”

He looked at Frederick, whose encouraging smile made his chest warm. “And don’t even get me started on the hundred pounds of hungry dog that thinks of a nose full of snow applied directly to the crotch as a welcome sign of affection.”

That did the trick. Silas gave Frederick’s hand a squeeze and started back towards their bedroom as Griffin launched into his own rant about how insatiable his pigs are. When he came back out with his books and writing tools under his arm, Frederick was laughing again.

“Alright, I’ll leave you two to it. I have to get these back to the library, Fred, so I’ll work from there until lunch.”

Griffin looked between them, confused. “You’re not staying? Even to watch?” When Silas shook his head, he shrugged and looked at Frederick. “I just assumed that was part of the kink. So let me get this straight. You can cheat on him, as long as…”

Freddy started to say that it wasn’t cheating, but Silas interrupted him. “It’s simple, Grif. All you have to do is ask.” Griffin absorbed that for a second, but when he started turning toward Frederick, Silas moved to stand in front of him. “Not him. We can all see that Freddy can’t wait to find out how tall you are lying down. No, you have to ask _me_.”

Griffin cleared his throat and looked Silas right in the eye for the first time. He had the same expression on his face that nobles did when they asked Franz for a favor. They were all blushing, but they were hard, too, and these were the rules.

"Silas, may I fuck your boyfriend?”

Silas grinned. “Of course.”

~~~

After that first time, Silas was shocked at how routine it all became.

Steve lingered after taking breakfast away one morning, struggling to get the words out, but Silas granted permission easily. When he realized that their food had been warmer all the next week, he asked Frederick why they hadn’t done this months ago, and loved how red his boyfriend got.

Warren didn’t even wait until he had finished patrolling to stop Silas in the courtyard, shoulder to shoulder with his knight. He was so formal about it, like fucking Fred was a duty to be performed every six months, and Silas was the bureaucrat standing between him and finishing that chore. Silas couldn’t imagine spending every waking hour with Sir Devin, and was happy to lend him Frederick so the poor kid could loosen up.

Robin surprised him by casually dropping the question while they were watering the prince’s houseplants. Silas hadn’t even known they were into boys, or anything that didn’t have leaves for that matter. He supposed Frederick was probably giving a lot of people their firsts, and wasn’t going to deny them the same privilege.

Madison found him in the library, and Silas barely glanced at her before nodding and getting back to his transcriptions.

Kenny was as cheerful as ever when he approached Silas. Silas knew he had been good friends with Frederick for years, and that he was always trying to get Frederick naked. Silas also had no reason to believe the boy had ever taken anything seriously in his life. He knew they’d have a good time, chuckling as Kenny literally skipped away with their laundry.

~~~

After a knock at the door one lazy afternoon, Silas opened it to find Harrison, almost invisible behind a box full of tools.

“Hi! I’m here to fix the prince’s bath. Freddy said the water had started to drain slower?” He poked his head full of curls out from behind a length of pipe. “Gotta fix that before anything starts growing in there. Do you mind?”

Silas mumbled some words as he stepped aside, almost forgetting to close the door behind the boy as Harrison headed toward the bath.

"Hello! Who do we have here?” Silas saw a shirtless Donovan looking through the bathroom door at Harrison, stock still. “Did you have a good bath, my prince?” He was the only one Silas knew outside Franz’s own family to correctly style the Southern royalty.

“Lion!” Donovan was reaching out toward his locks. “Lotsa lion hair.”

“Ha, it is a bit of a mane, isn’t it? Do you want to feel it?” Harrison scooped Donny up and put him on his shoulders as he took a brace to the bath pipe. He didn’t even complain when Donny took two fistfuls of hair and decided he was actually a horse, to be directed left and right with sharp tugs. Silas watched as he just giggled and obediently swayed, never letting the prince fall from his shoulders.

Silas struggled to think of something to say. “So, they’re letting any apprentice service crown princes’ quarters alone, now?” Dammit. Harrison clearly knew what he was doing.

He didn’t sound offended, though. “Maybe they are, but I actually made journeyman last month.” His bright smile was almost hard to look at. “Not a whole lot to do around here besides practice laying pipe.” Was Silas imagining the laugh bubbling behind his words?

“Congratulations. It must be nice to get out from being under a master all day.” What was even coming out of his mouth? How did Frederick do this every day and still have the energy to top Abby and bottom for him?

“We could always have it worse, like the squires do, and be stuck under asshole knights all night.” He let Donovan down gently, opened the tap, and started gathering his things back up. “That should do it, just need to put it through its paces.” He looked at Silas as the bath started filling.

“That just leaves one last question.”

Silas had learned to recognize the change in tone, the hesitation, the rising color that heralded this question. Usually seeing them made him excited, like when he noticed Frederick was hard, and he couldn’t wait for what came next. This time he felt his gut coil. “What’s that?”

Harrison took a breath, and used it all in one go. “Freddy said you three were doing the whole ‘open’ thing, but that I should talk to you about it. Is that true?”

Silas froze. This was different. He’d been second-guessing himself the whole time, but even he knew what Harrison was saying. Was this allowed? Silas was the one who had demanded structure, but now it felt like he had boxed himself in. All he knew for sure was that Harrison and Frederick would be great together. He could already see them laughing and joking. He could also see them sweating and thrusting, but he could always see that. That’s what the rules said he could have: the knowledge that Silas had made Frederick happy. Frederick did it for him every single day.

His job was to make Freddy happy. How could he even hesitate? “That’s right, you’re free to hook up with Frederick whenever you’d like. He’s having dinner in the servants’ hall soon, if you want to catch him there.”

Harrison gave him a long look. Silas knew his abrupt change in tone had been noticed, knew Harrison had been enjoying their conversation, knew he hadn’t been anticipating Silas’s rejection. Until he’d done it, Silas hadn’t either. Silas would have done anything else to keep this discussion going. Just not that.

Harrison finally nodded. “I’ll look for him, then. Thanks, Silas.” He smiled at Donovan as he picked up his toolbox and headed toward the door. “And thank YOU, Donny. You were a big help. Good bye!”

Donny waved enthusiastically, which was the only way he knew how. “Bye, Hass’n!” Harrison waved with one hand as he pushed the door closed with his hip.

And just like that, Silas was alone.

“You go too?” Donny asked, raising his arms and startling Silas from his sulk. Of course he wasn’t alone.

Silas gave a small smile as he picked him up. “No Donny, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Why no?”

Just then the door opened up, and Silas whipped his head around—But it was just Franz.

“Why not what, Donny?”

This wasn’t in the rules, but Silas didn’t care. They both respected the rules, and they loved each other, but what Silas loved about Freddy was that he didn’t do anything the way people expected him to. When he was forced to choose between his friend and his loyalty to Dolovai, he brought Silas with him and they both chose a new crown. When he took the job of page, a role any servant would be forgiven for bragging about, he never forgot about the rest of the staff. And when his best friend and his crush were competing for his love, Frederick showed them how to forge a new path together.

Frederick had shown Silas what to do, if Silas had the courage.

Silas practically threw Donovan into Franz’s arms on his way to the door. There was no hesitation. Freddy wouldn’t hesitate. Silas had only been in the castle for a few months, but he knew his home like he knew his own scars. He ran until his lungs burned, until he was sure he had missed his chance. As he rounded the last corner, he made himself look up anyway.

He saw Harrison there, talking to Frederick in a secluded corner. They were laughing, smiling, like Silas knew they would be. Frederick noticed him first, and graced him with his perfect, toothy smile. When Harrison followed his gaze and found Silas panting, he added his own grin. Their combined brilliance nearly blinded Silas, and he was sure he was about to make one hell of an exception to the rules.

**Author's Note:**

> Frederick is one of my favorite characters in How Best To Use A Sword, which is saying something because there are over 700. Frederick does so many things right that I wanted to take a closer look at one of the situations where he canonically hurts his best friend, and what it may look like for the two of them to try to constructively address their issues. I'm a huge fan of stories where people get things wrong the first time (or second or fiftieth times) and get back on the horse, because no life is a steady staircase of improvement.
> 
> I have so much to thank AntagonizedPenguin for, and if you enjoyed this story, so do you. He created the entire world of HBTUAS, but there isn't enough room here to gush about that. Specifically he created the wonderful characters that make up the main couple (which is actually a throuple, I swear; Abby is important, just not in this story), as well as most of Frederick's growing not-harem. Penguin generously donated his time and expertise beta-reading this, and it's much better for that attention.
> 
> This is actually my first work of creative writing in several years, so if you would be kind enough to leave critiques in the comments, just know that I am truly desperate for feedback. It's embarrassing, really.


End file.
